Bridget M. McLernon Sykes, MSN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Bridget M. McLernon Sykes, MSN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC

Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

  • Accepting New Patients: No

  • Insurances Accepted: BCBS, Aetna, United, Cigna, Humana and Medicare

  • Ages Treated: 15+ years old 

  • Location: Isle of Palms Office or Virtual Appointments

  • Specialties: Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Bipolar/Mood Disorders

  • Treatment Modalities: Psychiatric medication management, Psychoeducation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Bridget is a Nurse Practitioner with board certifications as a Family NP (specializing in medical issues across the lifespan) and as an Adult Psychiatric/Mental Health NP (specializing in psychiatric/mental health concerns in those 15 and over). 

She is a highly seasoned, expert clinician with her knowledge only being rivaled by her kindness and warm bedside manner. She has served in college health, providing primary care for medical concerns in this 18–24 year old population, as well as psychiatric medication management for concerns common in this age group. She is a leader, having served as Director of the College of Charleston Student Health Services and as the College of Charleston COVID Lead. Bridget has found great joy in working with young adults as they are on the cusp of finding independence, purpose and meaning in their lives. 

She also has a significant amount of experience in private practice, independently treating patients 15+ with talk therapy and medication management.  Bridget began her career serving Charleston’s elderly population as a primary care and psychiatric provider.

Bridget sees her work with patients as a collaboration, helping individuals to approach current and past challenges so that they can lead happier, healthier and more enriched lives. She uses thoughtful, evidenced based medication management alongside therapies such as psychoeducation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) depending upon patient presentation and need.

Bridget earned a degree in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and worked in marketing for product development firm IDEO for several years. Intent to follow her purpose, after having three young children, Bridget re-entered school to pursue training to become a Nurse Practitioner in the accelerated program at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She graduated magna cum laude from the BSN program at MUSC and went directly on to pursue a MSN with simultaneous concentrations as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) and adult psychiatric/mental health NP (PMHNP). Bridget pursued the two degrees in tandem due to her deeply held belief that emotional and psychiatric solutions are found when the patient is treated holistically such that their physical and lifestyle health is considered as part of their psychiatric concerns.

Bridget currently serves on the Board of Directors of One80 Place.